Actor Jaideep Ahlawat is getting a ton of praise for his role in Paatal Lok season 2, and now Anurag Kashyap has joined the ranks of fans. The filmmaker hopped on Instagram to share his thoughts, calling Jaideep's performance a "masterclass" in acting.

Anurag goes gaga

The filmmaker hopped on Instagram to give a shoutout to the whole crew behind the show for their fantastic work. He highlighted how the series brilliantly captures the "darkness that exists within us as a society."

While sharing posters of the series, Anurag recalled a quote from the acclaimed South Korean director during his award speech for Parasite: “Once you get past the one-inch barrier of subtitles, you’ll discover so many incredible films.” He reminisced about the early days of long-form content in India, proudly referencing the impact of “Sacred Games” and how “Pataal Lok,” created by #SudipSharma and directed by @avinasharundhaware, powerfully explored our darker sides

He mentioned, “I always thought that was the pinnacle of writing, directing, and acting, and nothing could top it. Turns out, I was completely mistaken. 2025 kicked off with a bang thanks to Black Warrant, setting the bar pretty high right from the start. Just a week later, we got ‘Pataal Lok Season 2’. I’ve been caught up with post-production and other stuff, and I’ve even switched up my routine to hit the sack earlier. But for some reason, I wasn’t feeling too sleepy and ended up watching an episode of the new season. The opening scene with Jonathan Thom’s body being discovered completely wiped away my sleep, and I was pulled into Hathi Ram Choudhary’s world so quickly, it felt like quicksand. The exploration of human darkness he navigates, always searching for a glimmer of hope that may or may not come, is captivating.”

For Anurag, the series is a “thriller, a mystery, it’s dark, set in a familiar yet overlooked region.”

The filmmaker added, “It’s backed by incredibly powerful writing, not shying away from tough truths, reflecting our collective hypocrisy, and revealing the darkness that exists within us as a society. As Hathiram puts it, ‘I’m a permanent resident of Pataal Lok.’ Don’t shy away from the subtitles; watch it the way it’s meant to be experienced, for its authenticity, bold creativity, and the brilliance in writing, direction, and acting. Every episode is directed and shot by the talented @avinasharundhaware. And the ending hits you with a light that caught me off guard and made me emotional because I wanted it, but I didn’t see it coming. (The post is too long, so I’ll continue in the comments).”

Jaideep's performance

Anurag had some high praise for Jaideep’s performance, saying, “This isn’t just his best work so far; I’d say it’s the best performance by any actor I’ve seen in the 2020s.”

“He’s not just acting; he truly becomes Hathiram Choudhary. It’s a masterclass in acting, and I’m completely blown away. Big shoutout to the whole team, especially the writers and costume designer @shruti_kapoor_21 for nailing it with three hits in a row (Jubilee, Black Warrant, and Patallok). Huge props to @ishwaksingh and @tillotamashome. I was also thrilled to see Sir Jahnu Barua and Nagesh Kukkoonoor involved. Amazing casting by @castingay and top-notch production design by the always talented @mukundgupta,” he wrapped up.

About the show

Paatal Lok season 2 is finally back after a four-year wait since the first season. Created by Sudip Sharma and Avinash Arun Dhaware, the show sees Jaideep returning as Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary, who dives into a high-profile murder investigation that leads him to northeast India. Alongside Ishwak Singh's character Ansari, he faces personal struggles and powerful adversaries while chasing the truth. The cast also features Jahnu Barua, Tillotama Shome, Nagesh Kukunoor, and Anurag Arora. You can catch the second season of Paatal Lok streaming on Prime Video starting January 17.

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